At Beth Tzedec, we recognize the centrality of Israel in our lives. It is our ancestral homeland. It is the direction to which we pray. It is fundamental to our religious teachings. Israel is the spiritual heart of our people.
For those of us who have visited, who have homes there and who have family and friends in Israel, we know first hand the places that are now being attacked with rockets from Gaza.
We therefore strongly condemn the indiscriminate rocket attacks against civilians from the terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Israel has not only a right, but an obligation, to defend its citizens from such attacks and we staunchly support its right to do so.
As a community, we express our great sadness in the loss of life that these escalations of violence bring to all who live in the region.
We pray:
Psalms 122:7-8
L'shalom,
Debbie Rothstein, President
Bernie Gropper, Chair of the Board
Rabbi Steven Wernick, Senior Rabbi
Randy Spiegel, Executive Director
If you would like to support those who have been impacted by the ongoing violence in Israel, we encourage you:
- Make your voice heard in Israel by supporting the Masorti/Conservative Movement
- Support Israeli victims of terrorism by making a contribution to the Jewish Agency for Israel's Victims of Terror Fund.
- Join the UJA's advocacy body, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in encouraging the Canadian government to condemn the actions of Hamas.
